The Book Of Helaman (Chap. 6)

Helaman 6:1
And it came to pass that when the sixty and second year of the
reign of the judges had ended, all these things had happened and
the Lamanites had become, the more part of them, a righteous
people, insomuch that their righteousness did exceed that of the
Nephites because of their firmness and their steadiness in the
faith.

Helaman 6:2
For behold, there were many of the Nephites who had become
hardened and impenitent and grossly wicked, insomuch that they
did reject the word of God and all the preaching and prophesying
which did come among them.

Helaman 6:3
Nevertheless, the people of the church did have great joy
because of the conversion of the Lamanites, yea, because of the
church of God, which had been established among them. And they
did fellowship one with another and did rejoice one with another,
and did have great joy.

Helaman 6:4
And it came to pass that many of the Lamanites did come down
into the land of Zarahemla, and did declare unto the people of
the Nephites the manner of their conversion, and did exhort them
to faith and repentance.

Helaman 6:5
Yea, and many did preach with exceedingly great power and
authority, unto the bringing down many of them into the depths of
humility, to be the humble followers of God and the Lamb.

Helaman 6:6
And it came to pass that many of the Lamanites did go into the
land northward; and also Nephi and Lehi went into the land
northward, to preach unto the people. And thus ended the sixty
and third year.

Helaman 6:7
And behold, there was peace in all the land, insomuch that the
Nephites did go into whatsoever part of the land they would,
whether among the Nephites or the Lamanites.

Helaman 6:8
And it came to pass that the Lamanites did also go
whithersoever they would, whether it were among the Lamanites or
among the Nephites; and thus they did have free intercourse one
with another, to buy and to sell, and to get gain, according to
their desire.

Helaman 6:9
And it came to pass that they became exceedingly rich, both
the Lamanites and the Nephites; and they did have an exceeding
plenty of gold, and of silver, and of all manner of precious
metals, both in the land south and in the land north.

Helaman 6:10
Now the land south was called Lehi and the land north was
called Mulek, which was after the son of Zedekiah; for the Lord
did bring Mulek into the land north, and Lehi into the land
south.

Helaman 6:11
And behold, there was all manner of gold in both these lands,
and of silver, and of precious ore of every kind; and there were
also curious workmen, who did work all kinds of ore and did
refine it; and thus they did become rich.

Helaman 6:12
They did raise grain in abundance, both in the north and in
the south; and they did flourish exceedingly, both in the north
and in the south. And they did multiply and wax exceedingly
strong in the land. And they did raise many flocks and herds,
yea, many fatlings.

Helaman 6:13
Behold their women did toil and spin, and did make all manner
of cloth, of fine-twined linen and cloth of every kind, to clothe
their nakedness. And thus the sixty and fourth year did pass
away in peace.

Helaman 6:14
And in the sixty and fifth year they did also have great joy
and peace, yea, much preaching and many prophecies concerning
that which was to come. And thus passed away the sixty and fifth
year.

Helaman 6:15
And it came to pass that in the sixty and sixth year of the
reign of the judges, behold, Cezoram was murdered by an unknown
hand as he sat upon the judgment-seat. And it came to pass that
in the same year, that his son, who had been appointed by the
people in his stead, was also murdered. And thus ended the sixty
and sixth year.

Helaman 6:16
And in the commencement of the sixty and seventh year the
people began to grow exceedingly wicked again.

Helaman 6:17
For behold, the Lord had blessed them so long with the riches
of the world that they had not been stirred up to anger, to wars,
nor to bloodshed; therefore they began to set their hearts upon
their riches; yea, they began to seek to get gain that they might
be lifted up one above another; therefore they began to commit
secret murders, and to rob and to plunder, that they might get
gain.

Helaman 6:18
And now behold, those murderers and plunderers were a band
who had been formed by Kishkumen and Gadianton. And now it had
come to pass that there were many, even among the Nephites, of
Gadianton's band. But behold, they were more numerous among the
more wicked part of the Lamanites. And they were called
Gadianton's robbers and murderers.

Helaman 6:19
And it was they who did murder the chief judge Cezoram, and
his son, while in the judgment-seat; and behold, they were not
found.

Helaman 6:20
And now it came to pass that when the Lamanites found that
there were robbers among them they were exceedingly sorrowful;
and they did use every means in their power to destroy them off
the face of the earth.

Helaman 6:21
But behold, Satan did stir up the hearts of the more part of
the Nephites, insomuch that they did unite with those bands of
robbers, and did enter into their covenants and their oaths, that
they would protect and preserve one another in whatsoever
difficult circumstances they should be placed, that they should
not suffer for their murders, and their plunderings, and their
stealings.

Helaman 6:22
And it came to pass that they did have their signs, yea,
their secret signs, and their secret words; and this that they
might distinguish a brother who had entered into the covenant,
that whatsoever wickedness his brother should do he should not be
injured by his brother, nor by those who did belong to his band,
who had taken this covenant.

Helaman 6:23
And thus they might murder, and plunder, and steal, and
commit whoredoms and all manner of wickedness, contrary to the
laws of their country and also the laws of their God.

Helaman 6:24
And whosoever of those who belonged to their band should
reveal unto the world of their wickedness and their abominations,
should be tried, not according to the laws of their country, but
according to the laws of their wickedness, which had been given
by Gadianton and Kishkumen.

Helaman 6:25
Now behold, it is these secret oaths and covenants which Alma
commanded his son should not go forth unto the world, lest they
should be a means of bringing down the people unto destruction.

Helaman 6:26
Now behold, those secret oaths and covenants did not come
forth unto Gadianton from the records which were delivered unto

Helaman; but behold, they were put into the heart of Gadianton by
that same being who did entice our first parents to partake of
the forbidden fruit—

Helaman 6:27
Yea, that same being who did plot with Cain, that if he would
murder his brother Abel it should not be known unto the world.
And he did plot with Cain and his followers from that time forth.

Helaman 6:28
And also it is that same being who put it into the hearts of
the people to build a tower sufficiently high that they might get
to heaven. And it was that same being who led on the people who
came from that tower into this land; who spread the works of
darkness and abominations over all the face of the land, until he
dragged the people down to an entire destruction, and to an
everlasting hell.

Helaman 6:29
Yea, it is that same being who put it into the heart of
Gadianton to still carry on the work of darkness, and of secret
murder; and he has brought it forth from the beginning of man
even down to this time.

Helaman 6:30
And behold, it is he who is the author of all sin. And
behold, he doth carry on his works of darkness and secret murder,
and doth hand down their plots, and their oaths, and their
covenants, and their plans of awful wickedness, from generation
to generation according as he can get hold upon the hearts of the
children of men.

Helaman 6:31
And now behold, he had got great hold upon the hearts of the
Nephites; yea, insomuch that they had become exceedingly wicked;
yea, the more part of them had turned out of the way of
righteousness, and did trample under their feet the commandments
of God, and did turn unto their own ways, and did build up unto
themselves idols of their gold and their silver.

Helaman 6:32
And it came to pass that all these iniquities did come unto
them in the space of not many years, insomuch that a more part of
it had come unto them in the sixty and seventh year of the reign
of the judges over the people of Nephi.

Helaman 6:33
And they did grow in their iniquities in the sixty and eighth
year also.

Helaman 6:34
And thus we see that the Nephites did begin to dwindle in
unbelief, and grow in wickedness and abominations, while the
Lamanites began to grow exceedingly in the knowledge of their
God; yea, they did begin to keep his statutes and commandments,
and to walk in truth and uprightness before him.

Helaman 6:35
And thus we see that the Spirit of the Lord began to withdraw
from the Nephites, because of the wickedness and the hardness of
their hearts.

Helaman 6:36
And thus we see that the Lord began to pour out his Spirit
upon the Lamanites, because of their easiness and willingness to
believe in his words.

Helaman 6:37
And it came to pass that the Lamanites did hunt the band of
robbers of Gadianton; and they did preach the word of God among
the more wicked part of them, insomuch that this band of robbers
was utterly destroyed from among the Lamanites.

Helaman 6:38
And it came to pass on the other hand, that the Nephites did
build them up and support them, beginning at the more wicked part
of them, until they had overspread all the land of the Nephites,
and had seduced the more part of the righteous until they had
come down to believe in their works and partake of their spoils,
and to join with them in their secret murders and combinations.

Helaman 6:39
And thus they did obtain the sole management of the
government, insomuch that they did trample under their feet and
smite and rend and turn their backs upon the poor and the meek,
and the humble followers of God.

Helaman 6:40
And thus we see that they were in an awful state, and
ripening for an everlasting destruction.

Helaman 6:41
And it came to pass that thus ended the sixty and eighth year
of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi.